Karmic Koala now uses GCC-4.4 as the new default compiler, GRUB 2 as the default boot loader and features the Ext4 file system by default for new installations. Developers are also invited to test the new "UXA" acceleration method for the Intel video driver, which will later replace the current "EXA" method. The goal of the change is to solve the major performance problems encountered in the 9.04 release which The H reported on last month in the feature article "Ubuntu 9.04 and Intel Graphics".

HAL the Hardware Abstraction Layer, previously used as the underlying technology for power management and laptop Fn (function) key maps is now being deprecated, so in 9.10 these functions are being moved to "DeviceKit-power" and "udev-extras". Ubuntu are asking Alpha 2 testers to pay particular attention to regressions in those two areas and report bugs.

More details about the release can be found in the release notes. Ubuntu 9.10 Alpha 2 is available to download. As this is an alpha release, the developers advise users not to install it on any production or mission critical machines. The final version of Karmic Koala is scheduled to be released on the 29th of October. Following the release of Ubuntu 9.10, a Developer Summit is scheduled for the 19th of November.